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Contact: Iris Ho at 202-547-3686

For Immediate Release                                                                            　　　　　　　　　　　　　　January 3, 2005

US REP. VEHEMENTLY CONDEMNS PRC ANTI-SECESSION INITIATIVE: “DANGEROUS STEP TOWARD MILITARY ATTACK”

On December 23, U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo (R-CO) wrote a letter to Assistant Secretary of State of Bureau of Legislative Affairs Paul Kelly expressing concern with the State Department’s “failure to adequately condemn the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for threatening to unilaterally change the status-quo by possibly enacting a so-called “anti-secession” law.”

Representative Tancredo comments about PRC plans to enact an anti-secession law: “I believe it is clear to even the most casual observer that this move is little more than a thinly veiled attempt by Beijing to create a “legal framework” (and I use that term very loosely) for starting a war with Taiwan.”

Rep. Tancredo concludes: “The PRC’s effort to enact this “anti-secession” law is a clear-cut, belligerent, provocative, and dangerous step toward a military attack of a peaceful and democratic ally of the United States.”

In the same letter, Rep. Tancredo also expresses his dismay at the State Department’s recent rebuke of President Chen Shui-bian’s announcement regarding changing the names of Taiwan’s state-owned enterprises and overseas governmental representative offices. Rep. Tancredo’s remarks echo the sentiment expressed by co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), who traveled to Taiwan last month during an election observation trip.

FAPA President Ming-chi Wu, Ph.D. states: “The fact that Rep. Tancredo immediately wrote his letter after the PRC plans of enacting the anti-secession law were made public is a manifestation of the indignation not just with Rep. Tancredo but with probably the whole Congress about China's latest plot to create a legal framework to annex Taiwan.”

Wu continues: “When Congress returns on January 4th, FAPA will urge the United States Congress to follow Rep. Tancredo’s suit and take some concrete actions.” According to news reports, PRC’s Taiwan Affairs minister Chen Yunlin will travel to DC to lobby the Congress and the Administration about the anti-secession law this week. “He will surely get more than an earful from Members of the US Congress,” Wu concludes. 

【FAPA 新聞稿】                                                                                                                                        【2005年1月3日】

美眾議員嚴厲讉責中國推動反分裂法，

擔憂此舉是中國邁向武力攻擊一步險棋

科羅拉多眾議員唐克多(Tom Tancredo, R-CO)於日前12月23日致函國務院立法事務助卿凱利(Paul Kelly)，對於國務院未能適當讉責中華人民共和國意欲藉由推動「反分裂國家法」來片面改變台海現狀一事，深表關切。

FAPA於今日獲得此封信函副本。這是美國國會首位就中國「反分裂國家法」公開表達強烈反對態度的聯邦眾議員。

唐克多議員在信中明白指出中國此舉是司馬昭之心，路人皆知。他在這封罕見措詞強烈的信中表示：「我相信任何再單純的觀察者，都能夠看出北京這個幾乎毫不掩飾的企圖，欲提出一個『法律根據』（我已經很寛鬆地使用這個名詞），來展開與台灣的戰爭。」

他接著表示：「中華人民共和國在推動反分裂國家法的努力，是一顯而易見、好戰、挑釁而且危險的，朝向攻打美國愛好和平的民主盟友的一步。」

在此封信裡，唐克多議員也對於美國國務院日前反駁陳水扁總統更改國營企業與外館名稱一事，表示不可置信。唐克多議員的看法，與日前在台灣觀察立院選舉的眾議院台灣連線主席夏波(Steve Chabot, R-OH)，可說是不謀而合。

FAPA會長吳明基表示：「在中國確定將在去年十二月底人大常委會中討論『反分裂國家法』後，唐克多議員隨即致函，公開表達嚴重關切；這封信函不僅僅代表唐克多議員一個人的心聲，我們相信，這封信可以代表許多美國國會議員對於中國意欲創造一個法理架構來併吞台灣的反對態度。」

吳明基接著表示：「美國國會即將在明日（4日）開議，FAPA將走訪各大辦公室，呼籲他們仿傚唐克多議員，就『反分裂國家法』採取具體的公開抗議舉動。」

根據媒體表示，中國主管台灣事務的官員陳雲林將在這星期訪問華府，就『反分裂國家法』遊說美國國會與行政部門。吳明基表示：「從唐克多議員這封措詞強烈的信函以及FAPA得知的種種信息來看，陳雲林等人屆時可能要準備洗耳恭聽了。」